Take fancy dessert to the next level with our grilled figs w/cinnamon cheese + blackberry coulis!
Figs have been a delicious delicacy for many centuries, and are thought to be one of the first fruits cultivated by humans. Integral to the history and ritual of ancient cultures, the fig has endured the test of time as one of the most universally enjoyed fruits. Here, grilled figs with blackberry coulis & cinnamon cheese blends gentle sweetness with creamy texture. At once delightful & visually impressive, this dessert also packs a nutritional punch, loaded with fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
Bringing timeless tradition to the modern table, this wonderfully light dessert is sure to impress the fussiest of guests…even when they’re children!
Here’s How to Make It
Slice the figs in half and place them in a mixing bowl. Dissolve the brown sugar in a sweet dessert wine of your choice over low heat. Add the cinnamon stick.
Meanwhile, take the cream cheese out of the fridge so it can soften a little. Juice the half lemon and set the juice aside.
Once the sugar has fully dissolved, remove the mixture from the heat and pour it carefully over the figs. Let them marinate for at least 2 hours, and turn them at least once.
Next, make the blackberry coulis. Blend the blackberries and caster sugar together in a blender or food processor. Stir in the lemon juice (to taste) then sieve the mixture. Lemon juice allows the coulis to be as sweet or as tart as you like, so add a teaspoon at a time and taste as you go. (As an idea, half a lemon will yield about 4 tsp of juice- here I used 2 tsp for a mildly tart coulis).
Once the figs have finished marinating, transfer them to a baking tray. Grill them under a high heat for ten minutes. While the figs are cooking, blend the cream cheese and cinnamon in a bowl.
Marinated Figs w/Blackberry Coulis
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 food processor
- 1 strainer/sieve
- griller
Ingredients
- 6 whole fresh figs
- 1 1/4 cups sweet or dessert wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 punnet blackberries aka 250 grams
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 125 grams soft cream cheese Philadelphia is ideal
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
Instructions
- Place the figs in a mixing bowl. Combine the wine, cinnamon & brown sugar in a small saucepan and warm over low heat.
- When the sugar has dissolved, pour the mixture over the figs. Allow to marinate for 2 hours at room temperature.
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge to soften.
- Set aside a couple of blackberries for garnishing, if desired. Blend the remainder with the caster sugar in a blender or food processor. Stir in the lemon juice, bit by bit, until you like the taste. Sieve the mixture into a jug.
- Transfer the figs to a baking tray.
- Grill the figs under a high heat, until softened & golden. Approximately ten minutes.
- Blend the cream cheese with the cinnamon powder in a mixing bowl.
- Plate as shown.